This flag does not represent me

The current Australian flag is not a true reflection of who I am and with the multicultural communities we live in, it is time for a change in the current flag, to have true representation of the country we live in.

With four children from separate relationships my children have diverse backgrounds, not only with their mother, but also grandparents and great grandparents. My two eldest are eleven and nine - Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander, Spanish Malaysian. Then the four year old is Irish, Australian; and now there's a one year old; Aboriginal, Scottish, English and Chinese – so I am a huge supporter of a united front for the better of our country.

So with my children coming from diverse backgrounds – what does the Australian flag mean to me?

Being a tender age of 32 with four children I have been quite vocal in community and social media around certain topics such as equality for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. I am in strong belief that the current Australian flag is not a true and inclusive representation of all Australians – especially the countries first people, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.

With January 26th fast approaching, we see variations of patriotic symbolism plastered all over the merchandise of hats, T.shirts, coffee cups, thongs etc, All with one common theme, the Australian flag.

The first thing that sticks out to me is the Union Jack. Clearly visible in the top left corner – although when looking at it I can’t help but think of the atrocities that flowed on from European settlement, and although many fractions of community don’t like to hear it, many of these injustices still occur today.

One part of the flag I pay particular homage to is the Southern Cross, but as significant as the Southern Cross maybe to the flag, my eyes can never be drawn away from the bloodshed, terror and attempted genocide that took place on my Indigenous ancestors.

That being said, I feel a need for a change of flag, one for acknowledgment of a past, for reconciling our present and for the unity of our future.

It is so very hard to move forward as a nation when we are constantly reminded of the atrocities of the past.

5
Comments

Jason Jolley

Well said Joe: maybe an Aboriginal person as Head of State too.

Ken

Well said Joe. The union jack is an embarrassment to me, as a seventh generation white Australian male, because we are no longer the outpost of another country's empire. But for indigenous Australians it is a complete offence and snub to the injustices caused by white settlement. The jack must go.

Charles

I agree but for a different reason. We need to remove the Union Jack, because it symbolises Australia as a colony (or otherwise a sub-ordinate entity) to the UK, which of course is incorrect.
But replacing with "representation of the countries first nation peoples" is not the solution. It would have the same problem as the current flag, but instead of focusing on Australians of British descent, it would focus on Australians of Aboriginal/TSI descent. Some problem, different group.
Indigenous Australians include not just Aboriginal Australians but Torres Strait Islanders. The well meaning suggestion of including red/black/yellow colours would exclude TSI people.
Some might suggest a flag which combines British and Aboriginal symbols, but that would excludes Australians of Greek, or Croatian, or Indian, or Chinese, or Vietnamese descent... you get the idea.
A new flag should be a new unifying symbol, not one which separates Australians into different groups.

Steve Ross

Hello Joe
As a White Australian i can understand your feelings about the Union Jack and i agree that the Flag does need to reflect all Australians so maybe the Flag could have the Southern Cross and the Yellow,Black and Red incorporated TOGETHER as 1 Flag for the Nation